theyre

Theyre is a nonstandard spelling of they’re, the standard contraction of they are. In formal English, the correct form is they’re, with an apostrophe indicating the omitted letters. The digraph is a typical example of how contractions arise in English, combining a pronoun with a verb to create a shorter form.

The words they’re, their, and there are a common trio of homophones that can be confusing. Their is a possessive determiner meaning belonging to them; there describes a place, existence, or direction; they’re is the contraction of they are. Using the wrong form can alter meaning or readability in writing.

In practice, they’re appears most often in spoken language transcriptions, informal writing, and digital communication where punctuation may be omitted or overlooked. When editing or adhering to formal style guides, they’re should be written as they’re. If you encounter theyre without an apostrophe, it is typically a typographical error or a stylistic choice in branding or code contexts rather than standard written English.

Etymology and history: contractions such as they’re date from the development of early modern English, when writers began using apostrophes to mark omitted letters in spoken language. Over time, they’re became a standard, widely accepted form in most genres of writing.

See also: apostrophe usage, English contractions, their, there, they're.